Kick Serve in Tennis

Reviewer Best-in-class explanation of the kick-vs-slice mixup and how to fix it.

Moderator Entirely dedicated to differentiating the kick serve from an accidental slice — toss location (12 o'clock vs behind), racket angle at contact, and torso rotation as the culprit.

Reviewer Highly actionable, well-staged drills with rep targets.

Moderator Three named kick serve progressions with rep targets. Completely on topic and practical.

Reviewer Outstanding depth and accuracy, no fluff.

Moderator Top to bottom a kick serve clinic, grip, toss clock position, sideways torso, swing path, finish, even the court geometry fake-kick. Could not be more on topic.

Reviewer One of the better explanations of spin mechanics I've seen -- evidence-based, not just cueing.

Moderator The entire video is about what actually creates spin on a serve -- squarely the mechanical foundation of the kick serve, busting common myths along the way.

Reviewer Excellent, accurate, myth-busting kick serve lesson.

Moderator Entirely kick serve: face-sends-it and path-bends-it, dispels the curl-around-the-ball myth, pro film plus a real student progression. Textbook on-topic.

Reviewer Clear, accurate, the cues that matter - strong teach.

Moderator Pure kick serve clip - grip to bevel two with heel pad nudged toward the backhand, toss above head or slightly behind, stay side-on, brush up the back along the baseline. Every minute is on the sub-skill.

Reviewer Clear, honest, technically solid explanation of the kick serve and why it's the safer second serve.

Moderator Squarely about the kick serve: explains why it's the right second serve, breaks down the biomechanics -- sideways body position, toss at 12/11 o'clock, racket tip pointing left at contact, racket traveling up and over the ball for topspin, resulting higher net clearance and shorter landing. This is the core subject matter start to finish.

Reviewer Best-in-class progression for learning to feel spin.

Moderator A full progressive drill sequence built specifically to teach players to feel and generate topspin/kick for the first time - rolling the ball on the palm, then off the fingertips, building to the full swing.

Reviewer Best kick serve video in the batch -- real progressions you can actually go practice.

Moderator Explicit kick serve tutorial with fundamentals (3/4 spin explanation, contact point) followed by staged progressions/drills to build the movement intuitively. Squarely on the sub-skill.

Reviewer Practical drills you can go try right now — a bit of a sales pitch in the middle, but the content holds up.

Moderator Three concrete, named drills that all target topspin/kick serve contact and finish — this is a kick serve tutorial through and through.

Reviewer Great progressive drill sequence for building real kick-serve spin.

Moderator A real coaching episode focused specifically on fixing a player's second serve by developing a true kick serve — diagnosing an accidental slice and prescribing progressive drills to build lateral racket path and topspin.

Reviewer Top-tier, even nails the bounce physics.

Moderator Frame-by-frame Medvedev kick serve: grip on panel 2, toss at 11:45, higher toss so the ball falls, side-on body, tossing-arm tuck, pronation, racket path along the baseline. Bang on the sub-skill.

Reviewer Genuinely rigorous teaching -- uses slow-mo to prove the point, not just assert it.

Moderator Entirely focused on what the wrist does during a topspin serve, using slow-motion video to settle a real technical debate (abduction/adduction, not 'snapping').

Reviewer Clear, correct, and simplifies a commonly over-complicated topic.

Moderator Whole video is the single key condition for hitting topspin (contact while racket is still rising, ball behind/left of the body-line) -- this is the kick serve.

Reviewer Precise cues, memorable teaching, minimal fluff.

Moderator Entirely about topspin serve mechanics: precise grip adjustment (panel 1.5), toss at 12 o'clock, keeping the front shoulder closed, racket path left-to-right. Very tightly on-topic.

Reviewer Sharp fix for the most common kick-serve swing error.

Moderator Entirely about the kick serve swing path and the myth of the lateral chair drill. Dead on topic.

Reviewer Well-organized fundamentals, easy to follow.

Moderator Basics of the kick serve from grip through pronation, side-on body, toss at 11:30, let it drop. Entirely on skill.

Reviewer Sharp pro breakdown, cues are accurate.

Moderator Five tips strictly on the federer kick serve - grip, toss, side-on chest, rainbow path, pronation. Dead on skill.

Reviewer Technically excellent breakdown with an actual drill you can go do -- one of the better ones in the batch.

Moderator Directly and specifically about kick serve mechanics -- contact point above the head, racket face angle, limiting rotation, toss position -- this is exactly the sub-skill.

Reviewer Great technical explanation — you'll understand WHY the kick serve works after this, not just how.

Moderator Directly compares American twist, topspin and kick serve, explains they're functionally the same shot and unpacks the diagonal vs lateral swing path that defines the kick serve's contact and spin. This is squarely about the kick serve.

Reviewer Solid, honest coaching, keeps the misses in.

Moderator The whole video is the kick serve top to bottom: continental grip with heel pad shaded toward the backhand, toss above and into the court, let it drop, chest stays sideways, brush up and to the right. Dead center on this sub-skill.

Reviewer Practical, well-shown kick-serve tips.

Moderator Four kick-serve specifics — grip toward eastern backhand, toss behind, stay sideways, brush up the baseline with pronation. Exactly the skill.

Reviewer Clear, specific cues on toss and follow-through for more kick.

Moderator Same kind of real-time coaching on toss placement and brushing up through the ball to create the kick action -- squarely this serve.

Moderator Real coaching on toss placement and the brushing action that puts side-spin on the ball to make it kick -- squarely this serve.

Reviewer Sharp, specific coaching that actually shows you the toss and brush needed for the kick.

Reviewer Smart drone-footage diagnosis with a practical fix for missing your spot.

Moderator Uses drone footage to diagnose why a kick serve down the T misses left — root cause is head/body over-rotation — and prescribes a drill to fix it. Squarely about refining kick serve accuracy, though it's a fairly narrow slice (aiming down the T specifically) rather than kick serve fundamentals.

Moderator Federer's kick serve in super slow motion, used to show the swing path: from under the ball and up to the right for a right-hander (about 7 o'clock toward 1 o'clock), and how that separates a kick serve from a topspin serve (straight up the back) and a slice (side spin). All kick serve.

Reviewer Clear explanation of what a kick serve actually is: get under the ball and swing up and across so it curves left and kicks up to the right off the bounce for a right-hander. Do not confuse it with topspin or slice. Concept only, no toss or drills.

Reviewer Short but sharp -- real corrections you could apply immediately.

Moderator Shoulder turn, an aiming line, toss position on the left, and pushing up through the drop -- this is direct, real-time kick serve coaching.

Reviewer Excellent step-by-step swing-path drilling.

Moderator Day one of a kick serve series, isolating the swing path: roll up the fingers, rainbow arc out to the right, dummy toss. Core of the kick serve.

Reviewer Solid mechanics, but the TopspinPro pitch gets in the way.

Moderator All about the kick/topspin serve - low-to-high path, inside of the hand, pronation to the back fence. Squarely on skill.

Reviewer Top-level coach on a real lesson: slow it down, brush the ball so you hear it, put the toss where you can kick it, manage your body weight. Lesson shorthand, so watch closely.

Moderator A live lesson on the kick serve: serve slowly, brush up the ball so you hear it, get the toss where you can actually kick it, and control your body weight and balance while following the ball with your body. All kick serve.

Reviewer Clear physics explanation that actually clicks.

Moderator Directly compares flat first serve vs spin second serve mechanics, explaining the face-vs-path concept that produces the topspin/kick action. Core content on-topic.

Reviewer Solid technical corrections for players already on the shot.

Moderator Four kick serve myths dismantled, ball drop, lateral approach, lateral follow, massive kick. Squarely on topic and technical.

Reviewer Solid toss and rhythm coaching for the kick serve.

Moderator Day two: toss location and height for the kick serve and how toss height sets swing rhythm. Directly on sub-skill.

Reviewer Smart acceleration drills, some repeated plugs.

Moderator Day five: acceleration for the kick serve via fence drills and exaggerated vertical swing. Fully on sub-skill.

Reviewer Good fundamentals, heavy on the funnel pitch.

Moderator Three coaches, three kick serve fundamentals: toss over the head, swing path up the baseline, acceleration. On sub-skill throughout.

Reviewer Nice drill to actually feel the delayed pronation.

Moderator Specifically addresses a common topspin/kick-serve fault (opening the racket face too early) with a drill to delay pronation.

Reviewer Solid kick serve drills, some product plugging.

Moderator Four-drill progression all aimed at the kick serve: toss behind, topspin-pro feel, drop-and-go-up, hit-the-frame. Squarely on sub-skill.

Reviewer Practical, well-explained fix that actually improves spin and reduces wrist strain.

Moderator Explicitly about hitting a topspin serve with more spin, power and control -- topspin/kick serve is the exact family this addresses. Diagnoses the common problem (fingers bunched, no index finger awareness) and gives a specific fix targeted at generating spin, which is the core of a kick serve.

Reviewer Useful drills and pressure work, but rambly and plug-heavy.

Moderator Live session entirely on the kick serve, fundamentals plus practical drills and a pressure 10-ball drill. On topic throughout.

Reviewer Simple, effective feel drill, low on fluff.

Moderator Single feel drill for the kick serve: roll the ball up the palm and off the fingertips to sense vertical attack. On topic, intentionally narrow.

Reviewer Solid comparison, clear on why the kick path differs.

Moderator Side-by-side flat vs kick on Thiem. Heavy kick content - toss above head, side-on, racket along the baseline, contact on the way up - but framed as a comparison so the flat gets equal air.

Reviewer Simple, sharp cue that fixes a very real topspin-serve timing problem.

Moderator Squarely about topspin serve -- specifically the adjustment players who already serve flat need to make (lower contact point, waiting longer for the ball to drop). This is a real, common, kick-serve-specific problem with a targeted perceptual cue (watch the ball start falling).

Reviewer Good technique tips, but heavy on the sales pitches.

Moderator Directly about the topspin/kick serve: grip, toss placement behind the head, contact point, and body sideways position. Core content is squarely on the sub-skill.

Reviewer Good accuracy progression for the kick serve.

Moderator Day four: placing the kick serve by changing only racket-face angle while keeping everything else constant. Kick serve specific.

Reviewer Great real-lesson coaching with concrete, repeatable cues.

Moderator Real on-court coaching covering toss placement for all three serve types including the kick serve specifically (11-12 o'clock range, confidence issue named directly), so it's squarely in the kick serve conversation even though flat/slice share the screen.

Reviewer Good specific cue and a usable drill, docked a bit for the ball-machine sales pitch in the middle.

Moderator Kick serve IS a heavy topspin serve, and this video is squarely about generating topspin on the serve - contact point to the inside/side of the hand rather than above it, the racket path as an 'arc' vs a 'rainbow', and staying patient with the toss. This is core kick-serve technique, not tangential.

Moderator An interview breaking down why going up on the ball for more spin makes the serve bounce higher -- squarely about kick-serve technique and effect, even in Q&A form.

Reviewer Good insight into why the serve behaves the way it does.

Reviewer Sharp technical breakdown of what separates a flat serve from a real kick serve.

Moderator A real coaching session comparing a student's serve rhythm to a topspin/kick server's, discussing swing path and how racket-path-vs-target creates the rotation of a kick serve. Genuinely about kick serve mechanics, though a good portion of the discussion is about general serve rhythm and consistency rather than kick serve specifically.

Reviewer The no-rotation key is a real, teachable kick-serve cue.

Moderator Half is reading flat vs kick from feet, shoulders and elbow, half is applying the no-rotation, sideways, 12-oclock toss keys to your own kick serve. Substantially about the kick serve.

Reviewer Solid film analysis with concrete, film-yourself takeaways for the kick serve.

Moderator Flat-vs-kick serve comparison using Federer, but it teaches the kick serve clearly: toss more above the head, stay sideways for an along-the-baseline swing path, brush low-to-high for topspin, strings facing the back fence. Covers kick serve well, just alongside the flat serve.

Reviewer Clears up what a kick really is, but long and plug-heavy.

Moderator Argues slice and kick cannot be hit at once, but in doing so explains kick serve mechanics, three-quarter topspin, sideways torso, 12-oclock toss. Kick serve is central though shared with slice.

Reviewer Solid on the common toss mistake, a little soft on the finishing advice.

Moderator Covers toss location specifically for the topspin serve among the three types, correcting a common misconception about tossing behind the baseline.

Reviewer Good toss-placement guide across all three serves.

Moderator Covers kick serve toss placement (11:30, let it drop) but alongside slice and flat. Kick is one of three, so it covers the skill among other things.

Reviewer Great slow-motion breakdown of what a pro's hand actually does on a kick serve -- worth the watch.

Moderator Covers pronation across flat, slice, and kick serves using slow-motion pro footage, with kick serve as one of three types analyzed side by side -- relevant but shared with two other serve types.

Reviewer One useful correction (finish behind you) plus the 7-to-2 o'clock brush path in the caption. Twenty seconds of shorthand that ends on a pitch for a full training video.

Moderator Kick serve correction centered on the finish: the swing should finish behind you. The caption adds the brush path, contacting the lower left of the ball and brushing up and across from roughly seven to two o'clock. All kick serve, but it is one fix.

Reviewer Good insight into kick-serve mechanics and mindset, but it's a conversation, not a lesson plan.

Moderator A real coaching conversation about a pro switching her second serve to a kick serve -- why spin is the fix for double faults, toss position, wrist looseness, tilt, pinpoint vs platform stance. It's genuinely about kick serve but delivered as a candid debrief/interview rather than a structured lesson, so some of it is mental-game and backstory rather than pure technique.

Reviewer Fifty reps of the lateral contact is a genuine drill, but it is built around a specific training aid, so you cannot do it without one and it plays as a product demo.

Moderator A kick-serve drill for contact and swing path: line the racket up with a Spin Pro training aid, swing forward and make the lateral, up-and-across contact, then rep it from the contact position 50 times. Right on the kick serve swing path, but everything is shown through one piece of equipment.

Moderator Squarely on the kick serve -- the caption nails the actual purpose (high bounce, net clearance margin, disrupting return timing), which is the right way to introduce it.

Reviewer Good on the why; can't confirm how deep it goes on the how.

Reviewer The toss point is right (behind the head, toward the non-hitting shoulder) and it is a handy visual, but it is under 20 seconds with music over it, so there is little explanation of pronation.

Moderator Short breakdown of the kick serve with a focus on pronation. The caption's key point is that the kick serve toss goes behind your head toward your non-dominant shoulder, unlike the flat serve where it goes in front. On topic for the kick serve, though it is a 19-second reel.

Reviewer Good purpose-of-the-serve framing, light on actual technique.

Moderator About the kick serve but framed as myth-busting on speed, second-serve stats and why kick is slower. On topic but more philosophy than technique.

Reviewer Catchy way to think about it, but it skips over the real technical work involved.

Moderator Directly framed as how to hit a kick serve, using direction relative to a spin serve as the teaching device -- squarely this serve.

Reviewer Good drills for the drop itself, but you won't learn kick-specific spin mechanics here.

Moderator This is about the drop/backscratch position in the service motion generally -- loose fluid arm, ball-on-string drill, the Serve Master tool. It's foundational to a good kick serve since you can't load spin without a proper drop, but the video never singles out kick serve, spin, or racket path over the ball. It's generic serve-mechanics content that happens to be relevant background for kick serve, not a kick serve lesson.

Reviewer Good tactical thinking, but assumes the kick serve already, doesn't teach it.

Moderator Topspin/kick serve is one of three spin types discussed across nine placement combos, but the focus is serve variety and tactics, not kick serve technique itself.

Reviewer Excellent grounding in serve mechanics that everything else, including the kick serve, is built on.

Moderator This is a general serve fundamentals tutorial (stance, continental grip, two-swing-path model) explicitly framed as the base you need before you can hit topspin, slice, or flat serves. It underpins the kick serve but never gets into kick-serve-specific mechanics like toss placement or brushing up the back of the ball.